Site B Wants U
Volunteers Needed For Williamsport Teen Music Venue
By KAITLYN KNOPP

Imagine a club where the music is hot and the crowd is cool. There is no alcohol and no cigarette smoke filling the air. Tickets are cheap, and the bands are all local, so you won’t hear the standard radio jargon covering the airways these days.

What is this place? It’s Site B, the latest brainchild of the Uptown Music Collective. Site B, to be located in the old Raytown Building, 1307 Park Avenue, in Williamsport, will be a place where teens and adults alike can go enjoy the music of local bands just looking for a break into the industry.

In charge of this expenditure is a group of men from the collective, one of whom is Jared Mondell. The Uptown Music Collective is a place where people can go to learn more about various types of music through lessons. Mondell, a helper and member of the collective, reported that progress on Site B is good but “fluctuating.” He also talked about what he is referring to as a community “barn raising.”

This idea would entail the community coming together and helping to put together Site B.

“We need people with skills,” Mondell said, explaining that those knowledgeable in electricity, plumbing, and carpentry would be highly valuable. Obvious that they are looking for a community wide effort to donate time and supplies. Ideally, the barn raising would occur in April,, though that may change.

The entire goal of Site B is to provide a safe location for parents to send their kids to have fun. It is also designed to be a launching pad to thrust local bands into the media. Also, though the main target is Williamsport-area teens, it will also be a place where adults can enjoy music in a healthy atmosphere. But only if the community becomes more involved. As Mondell said, “We’re still really pumped about it; we are moving full steam ahead on it, and (we are) still looking for help from the community.”

Uptown has received a $10,000 grant from the Woodcock Foundation for the Appreciation of the Arts, all of which will go toward the building renovation. This means the collective can afford this new project, and simply needs the strong backs of the community to help with the actual construction.

Uptown organizers are certain Site B can provide a positive outlet for area teens and hope potential volunteers see this benefit and make the effort to get out and help. With the help of the community, and a little spirit from the collective, Site B is an almost-guaranteed success.

Anyone interested in donating time or resources, call the Uptown Music Collective at (570) 329-0888.

Kaitlyn Knopp is a  is a frequent contributor to Mountain Home magazine.